CLINTON, Iowa - Since the Thomson Correctional Center seems to be the front-runner to land hundreds of jobs and Guantanamo Bay prisoners, surrounding communities are bracing again for the benefit. That's the case in nearby Clinton, Iowa, where housing could get a jump start.

THOMSON, Ill. — Thomson Correctional Center appears to be the leading candidate to house terror detainees being transferred from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. U.S. Congressman Bruce Braley on Monday said after a tour of the facility with Federal Bureau of Prisons and Department of Defense officials that the prison located about 12 miles north of Clinton on the Illinois side is a strong contender.

As the Obama administration works to identify a detention facility for prisoners transferred from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, federal officials also are considering sites to hold military commission trials for at least some of the suspects.

News that the federal government may buy the nearly empty Thomson Correctional Center and use the maximum-security state prison to house Guantanamo Bay detainees has given people in Thomson hope that things might be about to turn around...

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn says, "We see an opportunity, a once in a lifetime opportunity for the people of Illinois." The governor says opening Thomson could create 3-thousand jobs and a billion dollars for Northwestern Illinois over the first four years.

CNBC scored all 50 states—using publicly available data—on 40 different measures of competitiveness. Iowa ranks 11th in Business Friendliness, 4th in Economy, and 1st in Cost of Doing Busines.

So much is happening in the Clinton region right now. Sometimes it has seemed slow, so it’s difficult to understand the full impact of the projects happening now and in recent years.

The state's largest cities saw the greatest gains in 2008, with Des Moines adding 3,100 potential workers and Cedar Rapids 2,200, based on annual averages. But Clinton saw an increase of 590 jobs, the largest (2.1%) increase in workforce. Read the entire article from the Sunday, August 16 Des Moines Register.

Since the SSMID was implemented in 2000, it has generated $1.8 million from the tax. That money helps pay salaries, plowing the snow off downtown sidewalks in the winter and other downtown improvements.

On July 15, CRDC was awarded $200,000 from the Clinton County Community Development Association (CCCDA) which will be used to cover some upfront expenses related to the development of the Lincolnway Railport.

— It’s difficult for Tim Bollmann, Wild Rose Casino and Resort general manager, to come up with downsides for undocking the old riverboat and building a landbased casino. Revenues have jumped nearly $11 million, according to the IRGC Riverboat Revenue Report from 2008 to 2009.

CLINTON - Let's just get it out there. Alliant Energy Field in Clinton and home of the Clinton Lumberkings is a fantastic place to watch baseball. The reasons for that are obvious. It's old and recent renovations keep in it looking good.

Since Bridgepoint took over operations of Ashford at the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year, the college has continued to set new marks for enrollment and graduation, added hundreds of jobs and in 2007 became the first tenant in the Lyons Business and Technology Park when the college opened a call center there.